MINING NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 650, 19 March 1870, Page 4

MINING NEWS.

U? RIVER DIGGINGS. (FKOM OVB. OWN CORRESPONDENT.) No Town, March 1.4. The population of this district has incre.ised wonderfully within the last two' months^ bat- noi new ground, has been opened, if I except a smalLrush-which has taken place to Paddy's GUtfly. This gully is situated feetweea three and foivr miles up the maiii creek, of which it ia a tributary. It was fii*3t opened about four years ago by Paddy Quihlivan, who may be considere.l the pioneer of the upper No Town district. The workings originally were confined to the bed of the creek, and aorae of the old claims paid very well. The rush now is on a flat terrace on tlw Northern bank of the creek, the sinking is from 12 to 25 feet, and the prospects in the golden claims are good. Four claims are oh gold. No great attention need be paid to any rush which takes place in this neighborhood, as the payable ground is generally limited to five or six claims, which are at once occupied by those on the spot There is a considerable area.of. country both above and below the creek, which is the scene of the present rush, which is comparatively untried, but testing it will be like prospecting entirely new ground, because the gold sometimes lays in such unlikely places about the No Town district that there is no data to go upon, Joyce's, Tumblety's, and Steer's Gullies, 'Which run into the main creek from the jj&ine side of the range as that on whioh Paddy's Gully is situated; and on the opposite side of the oreek, Abe's, Big Bill's, and: Bell's Gullies, arid their branches all paid more or less when they -were first worked. As a rule, with the exception of Abe's Gully, the , creeks were considered poor at the time they were opened ; but the intervening terraces and spurs have, never had a thorough trial. With the exception of some five or six tunnels which have been driven into the bank Of Abe's Creek, there has been no terrace prospecting of any consequence done from within a '-mile of Irishtow.n ur> Wffds. : -Sbttie time ago a party of seven ' men. took np. an area of about one and ■a-half acres below the old workings at the bottom of Big Bill's Gully. They erected .an overshot water-wheel. 18ft in diameter, And sunk a well-shaft 46ft deep for drainage purposes. They sunk several prospecting shafts on different parts of the claim, and in one,. which they bottomed at 56ft, gold, which under more favorable circumstances would be considered, payable; was .found. The influx of water became top great, the wheel shaft in which the party were working elevators required deepening, but the company's means became exhausted, and the work had Jo be' abandoned, after nearly." four months' hard labor. The members of this party are scattered in all directions, but any of them with whom I have had an opportunity of speaking remain steadfast in their faith in the ground, and they are firm in their determination to have another "shy" at it, if fortune favors them elsewhere. The rush at Gqnedick's terrace, near Irishtown, is progressing very slowly, There is only the one claim on gold, and I believe that is not paying as well as it has been. Some of the tunnels which were being taken in at the northern end have been abandoned. I do not wonder at this, for it was plain to be seen from the beginning, even supposing the lead continued from Gonedick's claim — and that such is not the fact lias yet to, .be . proved — that it would be a six or eight months' job before" any of the other claims could expect to reaoh it. . Tunneling in wet and loose ground like this is . mi expensive and tedious operation, and parties should have a clear arid distinct idea as to the extent of their means, and the length of time they can hold but before . they : undertake works of such magnitude. Gonedick and party lo3t a considerable portion of their .claim in consequence of an adverse decision in the Warden's Court at Camptown recently. This rush is before the time for this district/if I may be allowed to use the: expression. AH the. ground which has been -wrought to advantage in : this place yet has been comparatively shallow and easily •worked, with the exception perhaps- of ; Fisher and Co., and Renny and party's claims at Irishtown, a few claims on the left-hand branch, and the hydraulic sluicing claims at Surinyside. Thje ttfwnship is. assuming formidable; dimensions, in fact, in my opition, it is outgrowing itself. Since riiy last visit two .new drapers' shops have- been opened, another new store, three new hotels, one of them & really fine building ; a baker's shop and cordial manufactory conjoined, and a blacksmith's shop. Otherf buildings are in course of erection, and the old business places have been entirely renovated ; one of .them hus been metamorphosed in jsuch a manner thai, the owner didn't know his our ri house frpm the thefrbn' street, and T mo credibly informed that he .had to go .round to the back door before he. could be certain that lie wasn't ori somebody else'spreriiises. I was speaking to an old friend the other day, who has been mining iv this locality for the last five years, on and off, and on asking hinv ; what his opinion of the country alorig.thh range was, he held out a pair of brawny and horny hands,: •each as big- — and I .was; going to ssvy as' black— as a frying pan, and he asked me if I saw •* them ?" Isiujll did. " \Vell,'" Ire said, " any one who owns a pair of 'currycombs' like them, and isn't afraid to nß.e them, can make a little over tucker ; but the ground is patchy." IV would-be a different stury. if an abundant of water were available. ' I must conclude this letter by again-. ■ jid verting to the disgraceful condition of • the track. It was bad before this rush ■ set ih'j but now the traffic /htw increased bo much, it is getting in such a state that it is becoming positively dangerous to travel along it. It is, I believe, the intention of the Warden to visit tnis district, shortly, and the inhabitants will kne and opportunity of laying the requirements of the place before him. I .nm astouished at : the ...want of public spirit displayed by the people of : tlus district ; there are gentlemen among the miners here, who are capable in. an eminent ■dejjreeof taking a leading part in any movement for the benefit of the place, ' and bringing it to a successful issue, and it is indeed astonishing that they have been so backward in looking after their mvii inteiest-H up to this time.